Most of the time, people are praised for doing something they’re supposed to do in the first place. It seems to me as if praise results from a state of disbelief. A disbelief that that a person actually did their assigned duties.

Do I want to be viewed as such person? No. I think I work too damn hard to degrade myself to such a level. If I’m assigned work, I’ll do it because it is my responsibility. If I finish early or do exceptionally well, I don’t need compliments to keep producing quality. I’ll keep doing what I do, because I have personal standards of excellence. No amount of scolding or flattery can change that.

I understand why people need praise, because it raises their self-esteem. Who doesn’t need a boost of positivity once in a while? That’s great, but a passive work environment is unproductive. We need to discover our errors, and the only way we tend to accept them is if someone else points them out. Constructive criticism is better than praise, and praise is better than venting. But each emotion serves its purpose. That’s why we have them.

Let me re-emphasize my point. I have no problems praising someone else, but I rarely do. I do have problems receiving praise or compliments, because I never expect them. It is a foreign concept to me.